Nowhere To Hide
by katlevo
Summary: Years ago, the FBI tried to hunt her down and kill her. Years ago, she shed her true identity. Now she's living a lie using fake aliases while running from the government. Her next identity is as an 18 year old high school student, and she so happens to be in Ms. Carlin's class.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** So I decided to start a second story because I had this idea floating in my head for a while. I'll still be continuing with 'Did You Really Look My Way' so don't worry about me ditching that story. Thanks to Ambeezy for helping me by giving me a few ideas.

Let me know what you think about this story. All feedback is appreciated and welcomed. Reviews make me happy :)

**_Disclaimer: _**I don't own the show or characters.

* * *

Ashley sat in her motel room rummaging through various fake documentations and paperwork. This was nothing new to the brunette. After six years of living under fake identities, she became accustomed to being anyone but herself.

Currently, she was in San Francisco and her name was Melissa Evans. 'Melissa Evans' spent her days working at a law firm as a secretary. The brunette originally thought that it was too boring of a life to live, but quickly realized that she would be allowed access to different data bases from inside the law firm. Plus, all the snobby lawyers won't acknowledge her existence, simply due to the fact that she held a position lower than all of them. Most people didn't even second-look 'Melissa'. The brunette looked like every secretary in the building - and bitched like one too. She wore pencil skirts with tucked blouses, and glasses on the tip of her nose.

Today was Melissa's day off, which gave Ashley a chance to put together her next alias. The objective was simple - make up a person and pick a new location. Melissa's day off would be followed by a sick day - which would turn into a sick week. She would call in pretending to sound as dead as she could in order to obtain the whole week off without any suspicion. During this time period, she would move to a new area, along with a new identity. Later in the week, she would send a letter to the law firm, informing them that she had received a better job offer that required her to leave the city. The bosses won't even blink an eye before replacing her with a new person the minute they receive the letter. And just like that, Melissa Evans would be out of their lives, and will cease to exist. This was the usual routine for her past her aliases and it worked like a charm every single time.

Ashley sighed in relief as she finalized all the documentation she needed for her next identity. The hardest part was over and now all that was left was to print it. She looked under her bed and pulled out a large suitcase filled with her specialized printer and various seals of authenticity. Hooking it up to her laptop, the brunette hit print and watched as different legal documents were printed. Ashley checked her watch and estimated that it would take about 45 minutes for all of the paperwork to be completed.

The rumbling of the printer quickly annoyed the brunette. Not wanting to smash it to pieces if her irritation got out of hand, Ashley grabbed her jacket and gun, before she headed out for some much needed fresh air. She had been cooped up in the small room since she woke up at 5 am, and it was nearly midnight now.

She hopped into her blue Prius that she owned purely to maintain the image of Melissa Evans, and started the engine. The real Ashley Davies wouldn't be caught dead owning one of these things.

The brunette drove around town for a while and took in the city lights and the disheveled people. It was roughly midnight, but despite that, the roads were busy and people lined the side walks. _The city never sleeps, _she thought to herself.

Ashley parked the car and walked along the board walk. Her hair was straight - something she changed about her appearance so she looked more like a 'Melissa'. The brunette ran her fingers through her hair, still not use to the feeling of combing through it without getting her fingers tangled. If she had to admit, she missed her curly hair.

She walked over to an empty bench and sat down. Ashley never got rid of her habit to secure a place before she could truly relax. It was something her dad taught her for safety reasons. She scanned the area and took in the old couple walking hand-in-hand. They both looked happy, but the way the woman walked with a distance between them indicated that she wasn't as happy as her partner. Spending your entire life with someone probably made you sick of each other.

Other than the brunette and couple, the board walk was empty.

She listened to the water, hearing the waves crash against the shore. This brought back the memory of her family. They use to go out every Sunday night to the beach behind their house and have a moonlight picnic. She remembered that her little sister, Kyla, would always run into the water and get herself drenched from head to toe before their parents could stop her. The brunette and her sister were close. Ashley being 3 years older than Kyla made her naturally protective of her younger sibling. She protected her from boys, bugs, and anything corruptive. The older brunette liked shielding Kyla's innocence and often took pride in it, hoping that her sister would grow up with it intact. She had seen in movies how bad some people turned out because they were exposed to such destructive things from a young age. Ashley never wanted that for Kyla.

The brunette sat there when she heard sounds of laughter coming from her left. She immediately reacted and reached behind her back, ready to pull it out her gun and shoot if needed. She sighed in relief when she saw it was just a bunch of teenagers. Judging from the way they wobbled, Ashley was sure they were either drunk or high.

The brunette's life use to be that simple. Just a normal teenager who went out with her friends and partied on weekends. No worries. No cares.

All that changed for her in one night. That night she found out her family was killed by the hand of the FBI. She learned the reason was because her father was the leader of the largest mafia in the country, who proved to be a large threat to the nation. Her _father_, who visited her family every few months, was the man responsible for various mass murders, terrorist attacks, and assassinations. The same man that played princess with his daughters and read them bed time stories while acting out the scenes for them. She never questioned the so called 'business trips' her father took for most of the year, simply because she thought it was part of his job as a music agent.

The FBI had wanted Raife Davies dead, and when they located him after many years of searching, they immediately moved in. Their plan was to kill his entire family - to rid the country of the Davies blood and name in order to restore its once pure quality. But obviously that didn't happen. They missed one girl that happened to be out with her friends that night. The weeks after the discovery, news broadcasts and warrants were out for the capture of Ashley Davies, the daughter of the mafia leader. The FBI explained to the public that she was as dangerous as her father and was following in her father's footsteps in order to avenge his death. The brunette was considered a national threat, someone who supposedly knew of her father's plans and secrets. And all they wanted was Ashley Davies - dead or alive.

That was six years ago, when Ashley was only 17. Now she was 23 years old and she had seen things that you would hope to only see on TV. _So much for my innocence_, the brunette thought.

Having enough of the scenery, Ashley picked herself up and walked back to the car. She quickly drove home and dead bolted her motel door. Her room was plain. The walls were a pale tan, and the only things in the room were a twin bed, table and TV. She found the simplicity comforting for some reason. Maybe because her own life was everything _but_ simple.

The tired brunette walked over to her printer to look over the documents. She nodded in approval as she flipped through various things like health records, her new passport and driver's license. The paperwork looked as good as the real thing. Same paper, same seal, same everything.

She got to the end of the pile and stopped at the last document - her new birth certificate. The brunette took a breath and read the first line in her head.

_Ashlyn Taylor._

Her new life was as an 18 year old girl, who attended high school, in a place known as Ohio.

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_**A/N:**__ Reviews = Inspiration = More Updates!_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thanks for all the reviews! Tell me what you thought about this chapter - what you like and didn't like. All feedback is appreciated and welcomed :) Reviews make me happy which makes me update faster -wink, wink-

_**Disclaimer:** _I don't own the show or characters.

* * *

She loaded all her stuff into a small van. Ashley had traded her Prius to a car dealer for this piece of junk, and she was never happier the minute she got rid of it. The brunette hated driving that car to work every morning and home every evening. She wondered why she didn't opt for walking or biking everywhere. _At least it'd be better than a weak Prius._

She made sure all her stuff fit in the trunk comfortably and shut the door. The brunette travelled light - nothing more than the essentials. She had donated most of Melissa's clothing to a local charity in the morning. Ashley figured that most teenagers didn't dress like a stuck up secretary.

The brunette got into her car and started the engine after a few failed attempts. She rolled her eyes. _I bet the car dealer was eccentric when he got rid of this thing._ Turning on her GPS, she began mapping out a route to Ohio. Travelling by car was the only option for her - and the safest too. Ashley learned that the hard way 5 years ago, when she boarded a plane to go to Canada. Let's just say that it involved many big men and some major ass kicking - delivered by the brunette, of course.

The drive to Ohio would take Ashley about 2 days if she didn't take any stops, but the brunette decided that an extra day wouldn't hurt her. It would give her a chance to scope out potential locations for the future.

She pulled out of the motel parking lot as the GPS started to feed her directions. This GPS, she could put up with for a road trip. Her last GPS annoyed the fuck out of her and didn't last one hour before it was thrown out the window. The screeching robotic voice of that GPS was forever burned to her memory - unfortunately.

* * *

Several hours passed since she began her journey. The trip was relatively smooth so far, but if her growling stomach was any indication, she was gonna have to stop soon for some food. Normally, she would ignore her hunger and continue with her day, but being alone in a car made it kinda hard to think about anything _but_ the hunger.

Ashley spotted a gas station not too far ahead and sped up, hoping to reach it faster. She was driving through a secluded area so her car was the only one on the road. She often took advantage of areas like this to drive at high speeds and drift, but she couldn't do it now due to the type of car she was driving. Ashley thought back to the car she owned when she was 'Stephanie Rockwood', an upper class women who lived on an isolated ranch where no one could reach her. The Lamborghini she owned was _prestige_. It was like sex on wheels, but not really, well you get the point.

The brunette pulled into the gas station and decided that it would be good to fill up the tank while she was here. Placing a hat over her head and a pair of sunglasses to shield her eyes, she stepped out of the car and grabbed the gas pump.

She scoped the place out while she waited for the tank to fill and noticed that there were no security cameras. _Less work for me,_ the brunette thought as she finished up and walked towards to store.

As she entered, she saw a man who appeared to be in his mid 50's behind the counter. He seemed relatively harmless.

The man took in the appearance of the young brunette, noting how her hat casted a shadow over most of her face.

Ashley approached the counter and pointed out the window, gesturing to her car. The man nodded and punched in several buttons on his computer, fully understanding that she was referring to the gas she bought.

Before he could finish, the brunette interrupted him. "While you're at it, can I get a hot dog?"

The older man looked up, surprised that the mysterious girl spoke to him. Most times, people would come in and leave without saying a single word.

"Yeah, the grill's over there."

She went and made her hot dog the way she liked it and returned to the clerk. The scruffy man showed her the screen that displayed how much she owed him. The brunette swiftly reached into her back pocket and pulled out a $100 bill before she quickly left the store.

The middle-aged man stood there watching the girl leave, then looked down to the generous change she left behind.

* * *

It was pitch black outside. The only light on the road was from her car or a lamp-post she came by every once in a while. She preferred to drive at night than any other time. It was quiet and peaceful. Plus, people couldn't see her and she couldn't see them. In the dark, she couldn't judge a person and they couldn't judge her, simply because they couldn't _see _her. People are more real in the dark. It's because they don't focus on looks, but rather what the person is saying. In pitch black, Ashley Davies wasn't known as 'The Most Wanted Fugitive' but rather a regular 23-year-old girl.

The brunette yawned as she glanced at her GPS. According to it, she was a little less than half way to Ohio. Ashley was beat, but she didn't want to stop just yet. She wanted to go as far as she could before she found a place to sleep. Besides, she hasn't seen a motel in a long time, and she doubted that there was one close by. _  
_

Ashley drove in silence as she thought about the last six years. It was rough the first year, that's for sure. She had to learn the ropes of surviving on her own - not to mention, with the FBI on her back. She was weak and scared, and never wanted to hurt a fly. She remembered the first time she killed someone. It was about one month after her family died. She was walking in the alleys, trying to hide from some cops, when a guy jumped her. She couldn't understand what he was saying but when she heard 'Ashley Davies' and 'Raife', she reacted by swiftly pushing him off and stuck a knife into his stomach. She distinctly remembered watching the colour drain from his face as he fell to the ground. Too shocked at what she did, Ashley ran as far away from the body as she could. The brunette had initially thought that he was just a robber, with all his tattoos and baggy clothing, but when she heard her dad's name, she knew that he wasn't. The following years quickly changed her. After many fights, wounds, and scars, the brunette grew cold - with only survival on her mind. Every kill after her first made her bolder - more confident. She didn't hesitate to kill anyone that stood in her way, similar to how the FBI cold-bloodily killed her family.

A bright sign came into her view - _Morgan Motel_. Relieved to finally come by a motel, Ashley anxiously drove into the small parking lot and parked her car. She made sure that her car was locked before she entered the lobby.

The clerk gave her a strange look as the brunette approached.

Ashley quickly realized that it was probably weird to see someone wearing sunglasses at 2 in the morning, so she took them off and hooked them on her shirt.

"Can I have a room, please?" Ashley asked tiredly.

The clerk nodded and handed over a key. It wasn't unusual for people to come by at late hours.

The brunette grabbed the key and made her way out. _Room __207_. Ashley passed multiple doors before she found her room at the end of the hall.

She unlocked the door and entered the small room, making sure to lock the door behind her. She looked over every wall, examining the room, before dropping onto the bed.

It was comfy - at least to her. Most people would find this bed too hard, but considering that she's slept in worst conditions, this bed was perfect.

Ashley noticed that her room door had one of those dainty locks on it - the ones used for bathrooms and bedrooms. She got up and retrieved from her bag a chain lock and a screw driver. She positioned one part of the chain on the door and the other on the wall next to it. She quickly screwed it into place and checked to make sure that it worked. This lock was just for the sanity of her mind. The small locks made her nervous because they were so fragile and easy to pick.

Satisfied, the brunette went back to her bed, stripping off her coat and jeans on the way. She wrapped her body up in the covers and closed her eyes, quickly drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Ashley woke up early the next morning. She only got a few hours of sleep, but that was more than enough for her. After removing the chain lock and checking out of the motel, the brunette was back on the road with the intent of being in Ohio by the end of the day.

The drive was slower than the day before because it was the middle of the day. It was the prime time for cars to come out apparently, because even in secluded areas like the one she was in, there was traffic.

"Unbelievable," the brunette grumbled. She leaned her elbow against the window as she waited for the traffic to clear up.

* * *

The brunette was well on her way now. After she got out of the car jam, the journey was clear - much to her pleasure.

She's been driving for a long time because out the window, Ashley could see the full moon lighting the road. She didn't have much further to go until she reached her destination.

Most of her road trips were nice and short. They were relaxing to her and provided her with a sense of calmness. Something about travelling across the country in a stuffy car always intrigued the brunette. Maybe it had something to do with the scenery she passed on the way or possibly the fact that her family use to do this every summer. It was probably the last one. Her father never missed a single road trip.

Ashley sighed as she thought back to her old life. She missed it but who wouldn't, right? The brunette was just one of the unlucky few that had their teen years robbed from them. She never got a chance to graduate high school and she will never get a chance to see how her life would've played out. She would've been a music producer or a doctor - although that was highly unlikely. She would've watched Kyla grow up and fling boys off of her as she grew into a woman. She would've had _everything_.

But some things you can't control. Sometimes, you just have to let life run its course and hope that it doesn't screw you over.

The brunette glanced out the window to look at the large billboard and gripped the wheel harder.

_Welcome to Ohio._

* * *

**A/N: **So what do you think 'Ashlyn Taylor' is gonna be like? Whatever you think or feel about this story, don't feel afraid to express them to me. I love reading them and they let me know that my efforts aren't going unnoticed :)


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Hope you like this update. Sorry if things are starting out slow, but bare with me. Spencer should be coming in the next chapter, so we'll see how that goes. Thanks for all the reviews so far! All feedback is appreciated.

_**Disclaimer:**_I don't own the show or characters.

* * *

Ashley parked the car outside an old building. Before she left San Francisco, she had searched up different apartments she could rent for the time being. She couldn't live in a motel because she was afraid that a teenager living in one would attract the attention of the owner and school staff.

The brunette grabbed her bag from the backseat and took the stairs to find her apartment. She didn't like taking elevators because there was no where to run in case of emergencies. She felt like she was a sitting duck waiting for a hunter to take a shot at her. Plus, taking the stairs was good exercise for her.

After 10 floors, Ashley finally found what she was looking for. She stood outside the door, in the narrow hall, and examined its surroundings. She nodded in approval, noticing that her place was the closest to the staircase and furthest from the elevator.

The brunette flinched as the elevator doors slid open, revealing nothing inside, and then closed. She noted that the 'ding' of the elevator was fairly loud - at least loud enough that she could hear it from where she was standing. Ashley thanked whoever built that elevator because they had basically given her something that alerted her whenever someone arrived on her floor.

The hallway was dimly lit and quiet due to the lack of residents. She had done research on this building and found out that the tenth floor was basically empty. No one wanted to live there because the home inspectors had deemed it unsafe to live in because of the poor construction. _Poor construction, my ass. This floor is perfectly fine. _She had seen this a lot before. Many property owners put out fake claims of danger just so they can have a whole floor for their own use. By the time they take back the claims, people don't believe them because they're paranoid.

Unlocking the door, she turned the knob and carefully entered the room, closing the door behind her. The new environment made the brunette uneasy, due to the fact that she wasn't sure what was lying around in the apartment. It always took her a while to get use to a new place - usually after she did a complete search and modified certain things. Even then, the feeling of anxiety still nagged her.

Ashley locked the door and pulled out her gun, pointing it in front of her. She swiftly made her way around the apartment, checking every nook and cranny, and clearing each room and closet. The brunette was good at this; she was alert and agile. Coming up with nothing, she walked back to the living room.

She put her gun on the counter and looked around the place. The apartment was fully furnished. Ashley never bought an unfurnished house, simply because she didn't want to become emotionally attached by personally furnishing a place she would leave in a short amount of time.

This apartment wasn't too big - much to her pleasure. It was small and dainty with only one bedroom. Ashley never liked big houses, like the mansion she lived in with her family. It made her feel inferior to the house; like the house owned her, not the other way around.

Ashley walked to her bedroom and grabbed the bag she brought up with her. Unzipping it, she took out three hand guns and four knives, and laid them onto her bed. She had more in her car, but these were the essential ones that she used. One by one, she planted each weapon around the apartment: under her mattress, under sofa cushions, in vases, and so on.

She liked having them in reach just in case. You never know when raging feds are gonna come knocking at your door.

With one last scope, the brunette grabbed her gun and made her way downstairs to get the rest of her stuff.

* * *

After changing out the locks and adding on a couple more to her front door, Ashley left her apartment to go shopping. It had been on her mind the entire trip to Ohio: _Who is Ashlyn Taylor?_ The brunette already had her back story figured out, but she had yet to figure out what kind of person 'Ashlyn Taylor' was. She knew one thing was for sure; she had to fit in - one way or another. It was easy for the brunette to figure out the personalities and appearance of her last identities because she had a job - an assigned role that she played. All she had to do was follow stereotypes.

A teenager was much more difficult. There was no definite stereotype for the average teenager. Every kid was different but each had something about them that made them fit in. It all depended on how the school worked; what they deemed socially acceptable or not was the criteria of fitting in. At this point, it was all a gamble for Ashley.

The brunette had been at the mall for roughly an hour now. She had bought various T-shirts, jeans, and sneakers that she thought would help her fit in. If she had to admit it, the wardrobe she purchased was vaguely similar to the clothing she wore when she was 17. Ashley felt a sense of self-identity that she hasn't felt in a long time. It was odd and unfamiliar to the brunette.

Ashley walked around the mall, buying random pieces of clothing just so she had a variety to pick from. It was dragging on to two hours and the brunette was getting tired. Deciding that she's had enough, Ashley started walking to the mall exit. On the way, the brunette suddenly stopped and backtracked a few steps, looking into the display glass of a store. On a white-clothed table was a pair of glasses.

She walked into the store and asked the workers if she could see the glasses. Receiving them, she tried them on and looked into a mirror. They were large framed glasses, similar to 'nerd' glasses. Ashley turned her head side to side, taking in how the glasses altered her appearance. They made her look like a completely different person; it made her cold, icy appearance look warm and gentle.

Deciding that the glasses would suit 'Ashlyn Taylor', the brunette paid the cashier and left the store.

* * *

The brunette secured all four locks before heading into her bedroom to sort out her new clothes. She hung up all her clothing into the closet and put away her new pairs of shoes. Getting out the last item she bought, Ashley took the glasses out of its case and put them on, trying them. The glasses were non-prescription because the brunette already had 20/20 vision, but she couldn't help feeling like the glasses somehow helped her see clearer.

Ashley took her glasses off and gently put them on the bedside table. She walked to her kitchen, grabbed a glass of water and sat down at the dining table.

The brunette sighed and took a sip of her water. Tomorrow was her first day of class. It was the middle of the school year, so it didn't really matter when she started. Technically, she could've gone today, but she wasn't prepared for it. She needed a day of prepping - both physically and mentally. She needed the extra day to get into the mindset of her alias, to make sure that she knew all the little details of 'Ashlyn Taylor'. It would _not _look good if she stuttered on questions like 'when is your birthday' or 'where were you born'.

Ashley didn't know what to expect tomorrow. The last time she was in high school was 5 years ago and she was sure that things have definitely changed since then. Things including herself.

She was beyond nervous. This was the youngest alias that she's ever done. _18_. Her previous identities were all over 20 years old - even when she was just 18 herself. The brunette figured that being a teenager would draw less attention to herself; and there was less chance of anyone knowing anything about the mafia and whatnot. Let's face it, teens these days don't watch the news.

Ashley poured the remaining water into the sink before walking back to her bedroom. She got under the covers and laid there, staring at the ceiling. _  
_

The whole apartment was quiet and eery, and the only sound that was heard was the soft chanting coming from the tired brunette as she slowly fell asleep.

_"I'm Ashlyn Taylor. 18. Born in New York.."_

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**A/N:** _Tell me what you thought about this chapter!__  
_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Yay, new chapter. Sorry for the major delay. I'm guessing updates will be maybe twice a week, but we'll see how inspired I am. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews. I really appreciate all the feedback you leave. Tell me what you think about this chapter. Just so you know, reviews = inspiration = quicker updates :)

_**Disclaimer:** _I don't own the show or characters.

* * *

Ashley had slept for roughly 5 hours before a nightmare jolted her awake. This wasn't unusual for the brunette. For the past 6 years, memories of her family haunted her every time she closed her eyes.

Some nightmares went along the lines of reliving the last night she came home, while others consisted of watching her family die right in front of her while she was tied to a chair. Either way, she was powerless in her nightmares; no matter what she did, she couldn't save them. And that fact alone killed the brunette.

Once in a while, the gods would give her a break and let her have a normal dream. These weren't one of those frilly, all-you-can-imagine dreams, but it was one that brought some comfort to her. They usually consisted of spending time with Kyla or her mother which she was grateful of, but every single time she woke up, reality came crashing down onto her. She couldn't decide which was worse (the nightmares or dreams) because with either situations, she woke up alone with wishes of having her family back.

Ashley ran a hand through her hair and tried to calm her ragged breaths. It used to be a lot worse than this. In the beginning, she used to wake up with a scream followed uncontrollable sobbing, but as time wore on and the nightmares became more frequent, she became accustomed to it. It was almost as if the brunette expected to see her family die every time she closed her eyes.

Ashley glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table. _4:07 a.m. _The brunette was never a morning person, but after several incidents, she learned that sleeping in was a death wish.

She got up and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Feeling her sweat-soaked shirt stick uncomfortably to her torso, she decided that a quick shower wouldn't hurt either.

After about 20 minutes, the brunette walked out into the kitchen while combing through her wet curls. Darkness coated the whole apartment, mainly because the sun wasn't up yet. She looked around for a light switch and turned it on.

Standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, she was unsure what to do with herself. The apartment was still new to her; it was a stranger. There wasn't a feeling of trust or comfort yet, so the apartment and her were stuck in that awkward getting-to-know-you phase. The brunette looked around when an obvious thought hit her. Ashley went into her bedroom to retrieve her laptop and sat down on the couch.

The brunette had noticed that the lobby had security cameras, so here she was trying to hack into the system. It was relatively easy - they didn't have a highly monitored system. All she had to do was find the IP address and log on. Many people don't realize that their security cameras can be remotely accessed, and most of the time, their systems weren't password protected. Even if they were, the owners never bother to change it from the default password, which were made to be very simple and easy to remember.

Ashley gave a small chuckle as she typed in the password to the building's security. _This is way to easy_. The password was, as predicted, the default password, 1234_._

The brunette watched on as the cameras flickered on her screen. The grainy images were pretty low quality but it was better than nothing. She viewed footage of the lobby and various hallways from different floors, memorizing how they were positioned and in which direction. The most helpful one was the lone camera outside, near the entrance of the building.

* * *

Ashley let out a sigh as she rummaged through her closet. She spent the last hour or so just observing the cameras, watching janitors take out the trash or residents leave their house for work. Now, she was getting ready for school, and the thought of what to wear was driving her insane.

"Why the fuck is this so hard," she mumbled as she took off the fifth shirt, tossing it in the growing pile of clothes on her bed. The brunette didn't recall it being this hard to dress for school, but then again, things were much easier back then.

She stood with her hands on her hips and glared at the pile of clothes - her current enemy. She walked back to her closet and closed her eyes. Blindly, she took out two items of clothing and laid them on her bed. The brunette decided that this was the best way to go, otherwise she would be stuck here all morning frustrated out of her mind. _  
_

Ashley grumpily put on her clothes and walked to the mirror. Surprisingly, the outfit wasn't that bad. She wore a simple white v-neck with faded blue jeans. Maybe that was her problem - she was trying too hard before.

Looking at her variety of weapons, the brunette realized she had a new set of problems. How was she gonna hide her gun? Ashley shook her head. _Do I even need one?_ The aspect of danger among high school kids was relatively lower than those of full-grown adults. _Maybe I can just take a knife_, she thought as she ran her finger on the handle. _  
_

Ashley took two 4-inch knives and slipped them into her ankle holsters, one on each leg, before covering them with her jeans. She observed the mirror to see if the outline of the knives could be seen when she moved around. Satisfied with the results, she began to put away the mess of clothes on her bed.

After putting her clothes away, Ashley saw the glasses she bought sitting on the bedside table, untouched since last night. Nearly forgetting them, she picked them up and put them on, before taking them off to wipe them clean. She repeated this a few times before she was sure that the lens wear crystal clear.

"Perfect," she said, admiring her appearance in the bathroom mirror.

_Ashlyn Taylor, here I come._

* * *

Ashley arrived at King High right on time for the warning bell to ring. She would've came earlier if it wasn't for her stomach begin her for breakfast.

As the brunette walked down the halls, people were already starting to give her looks. She didn't cower under the stares, not wanting to give off the impression that they intimidated her. Ashley knew that if they sensed fear, they would use it to their advantage; it didn't apply only to FBI agents.

She held her head high as she entered the guidance office.

The man behind the desk glanced at the fresh face in front of him before returning his eyes to the computer screen. He wasn't good at remembering names or faces, which was why it didn't occur to him that the girl was a new student.

"How can I help you?" The man asked, still looking at his computer.

The brunette rolled her eyes. Ashley had perfected the role of a secretary, and this man, well, he's got it down pat_. _He had short blonde hair, and judging by the wrinkles by his eyes, he looked to be about 40 - give or take.

"I'm new to King High. I was told to come here to get my schedule?"

The man looked up and narrowed his eyes at the girl with glasses. "What's your name and grade?" He asked with suspicion, tapping his fingers on his chin.

"Ashlyn Taylor, I'm in grade 12," she answered, relieved that it sounded so natural coming from her mouth.

"Ashlyn, Ashlyn. Ah, here we are," he exclaimed as he clicked through his computer, "Ashlyn Taylor .. senior .. 18." The man craned his neck to get a closer look at the computer - to read the details, the brunette assumed.

"Yup, that's me," she replied awkwardly, noticing that the man was consumed by the computer. The brunette had nothing to worry about. All the information she gave to the school was made up, so the data was basically picture perfect.

After a few minutes, Ashley could hear the printer going off and before she knew it, a piece of paper was shoved in her hand.

"Here's your schedule. Just show your teachers the sheet before class and you should be fine," he looked at Ashley before waving her off, "Good luck with King High, kiddo."

Walking out of the office, she looked down at her schedule. _English, History, Lunch, Spare, Math. __  
_

"Not bad," she said to herself.

Ashley hadn't realize that the bell rang while she was in the guidance office. She looked both ways in the empty hallway, wondering where her first class was. She didn't have time to wonder long because the next thing she knew, a teacher was calling for her.

"Hey! You over there!" the lady came closer "Aren't you suppose to be in class?"

Ashley observed the woman as she approached. She noticed that she was wearing a 'hall monitor' sash.

"Yeah, I just need some help finding my class," the brunette handed her schedule over, "I just moved here, so I don't really know where everything is."

The hall monitor gave Ashley a sympathetic look before replying, "Take a right up there and the classroom should be on the left. Now move along."

Ashley mumbled a thanks and walked away in the right direction.

* * *

Soon, she was standing right in front of her classroom door. The brunette had a hand on the handle and prepared herself to enter a room full of hormonal teenagers.

Ashley turned the knob and walked in. As expected, all heads turned towards her, curious who the new girl was. A cat whistle was heard from the back of the room before the class erupted with laughter.

"Enough! If everyone wouldn't mind, can we all settle down?" A voice echoed through the room.

Ashley watched curiously as a woman walked out from behind the desk and towards her. She looked young, about the same age as Ashley. The brunette watched on as the woman tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ears and smiled warmly at Ashley.

"Hey, I'm assuming you're new here?" she asked quietly so that only the two of them could hear. The rest of the class was occupied with balancing textbooks on their heads.

"Yeah .." Ashley showed the young woman her schedule, assuming that she was the teacher. Ashley watched as the blonde took the paper and noted that there was a scar running from the base of her thumb down to her wrist. The blonde was too preoccupied with the schedule that she didn't notice Ashley's blatant staring at her hand.

The other woman nodded her head. "Hmm, looks like you have first period with me. Well, go and have a seat .." the blonde waited for Ashley to fill in the blank.

"Ashlyn Taylor."

"Just take a seat at an empty desk, Ashlyn," the blonde said, gesturing to the room.

Before Ashley left, the brunette couldn't help but ask, "And you are?"

The blonde chuckled lightly at her new student's question. "Spencer Carlin, but you can call me Ms. Carlin like everybody else."

Spencer watched as her new student walked away and settled in the front of the class near the door. She found it slightly odd that Ashlyn had intentionally picked to sit there. Most students all hibernate in the back of the class and don't sit in the front unless forced to. Disregarding the thought, the blonde continued on with the lesson before Ashlyn had walked in. Every once in a while, she couldn't help but glance at the new student.

Little did she know, Ashley was doing the same with her.

* * *

**A/N:** Ah, so Spencer and Ashley have met. It was difficult for me to write their interaction in this chapter for some reason. So this was like the intro to Spencer, so things should be rolling in the next chapter. Sorry if any of you are bored with the first few chapters, but I can't stand it when fanfics just jump into all the action without setting up the plot and everything so if you're looking for the quick action fix, you might not get it for a few more chapters.

Thanks to all the new reviewers and the old ones. Let me know how I did with this chapter :)


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** **Enjoy! Thanks for all the positive reviews and new followers! Take a minute or two to tell me how I did with this chapter and whether you liked it or not. All feedback is appreciated :) Author replies at the end, so check that out if you reviewed last chapter :)**

**_Disclaimer:_ I don't own the show or characters.**

* * *

The bell rang, signalling the end of class. Students quickly gathered their stuff and rushed to their next class in hope that their day would end much quicker.

Ashley sat there waiting for the crowd to die down before getting up herself. She took her time collecting her stuff because she was fairly certain that she was gonna be late to her next class no matter what. Ashley still had some sense of her teenage self and it was begging to reveal itself just to relive some normality of her old life. But the brunette knew that she couldn't do let that idea get to her. A 'normal life' was out of the question for her and what was important now was to _protect_ her life. That was all she could allow herself to think about: survival.

Spencer watched from behind her desk as students filed out the door. The blonde glanced at her watch and noticed that there was only two minutes left until the bell rang for next period. There was only one student left behind. _She's gonna be late_, Spencer thought.

Ashley glanced up to see Spencer looking at her before she returned her eyes to her bag to zip it closed. The brunette initially thought that she would get an old hunch-back lady as an English teacher, similar to the one she had back then, but she never would've guessed that she would get the young blonde in front of her. Ashley wasn't sure if she was happy about this. In her experience, it was much easier to get away with things when dealing with elderly people; something to do with their over-forgiving nature.

Just as Ashley was about to exit the room, someone called her name - or rather _Ashlyn's _name. Since there was only the two people in the room including herself, Ashley chalked it up that the voice belonged to her teacher.

"Yeah?" Ashley asked, curious about why she was called on.

"Sorry, I was just letting you know that the bell is-"

At that moment, the sound of a bell rang throughout the school, followed by the echoes of various doors closing.

".. going to ring," Spencer finished a little too late. The blonde felt a little defeated that the bell had beat her.

A silence quickly took over the room as the two stood there not sure how to break it and preoccupied with their thoughts.

Ashley became more and more agitated as time wore on. What could've been seconds felt like long hours to the brunette. She had a very strong urge to clear the room and, if possible, the person in front of her, but she knew she couldn't do it without looking like a lunatic. She opted for the next best thing, which was to glance around the room and mentally analyze everything she laid eyes on.

Spencer, on the other hand, took in the silence with pleasure, not bothered by it at all. Ashley still hadn't said a thing yet, and Spencer figured it was due to the usual first-day-jitters. She felt a little disappointed that she couldn't stop the silence from turning awkward. Most students were comfortable around her, and not to toot her own horn, but despite being here for only a month or so, she was considered one of the 'cool' teachers. Spencer tried her best to send off welcoming vibes through her body language, but if anything, it made Ashley more tense.

Spencer took a deep breath, soaking in the last ounces of silence, before her voice effortlessly sliced through it.

"What do you have next?"

Ashley flinched at the sudden voice, being distracted by her thoughts, but quickly recovered.

"I think I have History next," Ashley answered, pulling out her schedule to confirm. "Yeah, History."

The blonde gave a little nod of acknowledgement.

Ashley slowly backed up and pointed towards the door. "Well, I better head on to my next class."

"I'll help you find it. My first week here was chaotic," Spencer shared, staring off into the distance recalling the distasteful memories.

Spencer lightly shook her head and stood up, giving Ashley a small smile.

Ashley watched her teacher cautiously as she hoisted a leather messenger bag onto her shoulders and walked out of the class without a word, leaving Ashley no choice but to follow hesitantly behind. The brunette didn't remember the teachers being this nice 6 years ago.

Trailing behind Spencer, Ashley gave the blonde a quick once-over before she lost the chance. Anyone who walked by would have thought that she was checking out her teacher but she was doing it to make sure the woman in front of her wasn't a threat. Spencer was dressed in casual attire: jeans and a button-up shirt that was rolled up to her elbows. From behind, she looked like one of the students._  
_

Just as Ashley's eyes made it to the back of the blonde's head, Spencer turned around and gestured to the door behind her.

"This should be the room," Spencer said.

Ashley had been quietly following her; the only sounds heard were their footsteps, but more noticeably, Spencer's. Ashley's walk was more gentle, the blonde noticed, as if she was walking on ice where one harsh step would drown her.

Ashley glanced at the door and nodded. "Thanks."

She swiftly walked around Spencer and entered the classroom before the blonde could get out a 'you're welcome'.

* * *

The rest of the day went well for the brunette. She had gotten the old hunch-back lady that she hoped for in History and did a mental happy dance when the lady gave her the old-fashioned 'grandma' smile and waved off her lateness without a care in the world.

Lunchtime was okay. Ashley juggled between the idea of sitting alone and sitting with a group, and decided that she could hide better in a group. She found a friendly art group that welcomed her with open arms. They were always the nice ones - the art kids.

Ashley spent her spare period in the corner of the library. From afar, she had the whole 'nerd' thing going on in the corner. People who passed by assumed that she was buried in some kind of textbook, studying for a quiz or test. But with closer inspection, you could make out the brunette reading a stack of spiderman comic books. Ashley had convinced herself that she needed to learn some new moves, but in all truths, she just wanted to see spiderman kick ass.

Math class flew by for her. Ashley always excelled in Math for some odd reason. She could be flunking every class but her math mark would be the lone A on her report card. Let's just say report card day was always interesting at home. Her mother would be up and done the scale of emotions, going from angry and authoritative for all the C's and D's, to proud and rewarding for that one A in math. Ashley always used to deflect her mom's scolding by mentioning Kyla's high marks which caused her mother to repeat the whole emotion mix up again.

Throughout the day, Ashley would get the occasional 'Are you new here?' or 'What's your name?' and 'Where are you from?', to which she would reply with the same rehearsed answers and then politely excuse herself to go to class or her locker. It was working so far, and she estimated that the curiosity surrounding herself would disappear in a few days.

Ashley drove home peacefully, glad that the day went by smoothly. She thought back to 'Melissa Evan's' first day and shuddered. It was horrid to say the least. Gross men noticing what they called 'fresh meat' and hitting on her left and right. She got that fixed immediately by turning the dial to her bitchiness sky-high. Added in with some threats regarding certain sensitive body parts, the men backed off instantly. Sure they still ogled her, but at least the verbal comments had stopped.

The brunette parked the car and jogged up the stairs to her apartment suite. She unlocked the multiple locks, entered, then proceeded to lock it back up.

Ashley removed the two knives attached to her ankle and placed one on the counter while rolling the other one skillfully between her fingers. The brunette took off her glasses and laid it next to the knife.

She wandered around the apartment aimlessly, checking on all the weapons that were spread out in the suite and fixed little things like the creak in her bedroom and bathroom door. This was a part of the whole FBI-proofing process that the brunette religiously did at all her previous homes. Anything that could give herself away in the case of a break-in was fixed along with a few other minor details. It was almost a tradition in a way. New city, new house, same routine.

This automatic task occupied the brunette for a few hours and by the end of it, she was covered in dust.

After she took a much needed shower, Ashley settled on the couch and opened her laptop, opting to spend the rest of her evening going through the day's security footage.

* * *

**A/N: ... it's 4:00 am and here I am.. lol, sorry for the major delay. I've been writing different parts of this story and finally was able to link this one in with the others. Gosh, when I started writing this chapter, it was all crowded with too many events that it made the timeline seem out of whack. -sigh- Gotta pace myself. Next chapter will be a bit more interesting I think. According to the map in my head, we'll be looking more into Spencer. Updates will be a little irregular due to final assignments, exams, etc, but I'll try to update once more this week. Btw, reviews motivate me (:**

**babyballa10: **Thanks for the support! Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

**Amy: **I love AU stories too! The plots and scenarios are endless. Glad you're enjoying the story so far and thanks for the review!

**jwilbanks21: **Sorry this update took so long, but I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for the encouragement :)

**DominoL: **Thanks for the review! Hope you're enjoying it so far.

**TheDWall: **Glad you're liking the story so far! Thanks for the review.

**REZ18: **Ahh, we'll see, we shall see. lol, glad you're enjoying the story so far and thanks for the review :)

**Ambeezy:** I love your reviews, gosh. So detailed and reflective. Hope you're enjoying the story so far and thanks for being there since the beginning :)

**Turkey in a suit: **There's a bit more Spashley interaction in this chapter! And honestly, I cannot wait till we get to all the exciting stuff. -sigh- Thanks for the review :)

**gnurd: **Glad to hear that you're liking Ashley so far! I kinda like this Ashley too :) Thank you for the review!

**Reviewer: **Thanks for the review and hope you're enjoying it so far!

**ghostperfect: **Hmm, Ashley saving Spencer could be interesting .. :) Anyway hope you're liking the story and thanks for the review!

**mxfan88: **Hope you enjoyed this update! And I completely agree with you. Having them together right away is blah. I like to see them develop their relationship from the start. Thank you for your review :)


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Enjoy the update! Let me know your thoughts on this chapter in the reviews. I appreciate all your support and thanks to all the new followers and reviews! :) **

* * *

Ashley woke up groggily at the sound of an object vibrating violently. She blindly reached into the pillow case next to her and pulled out a small pistol before she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. _God dammit._ She was about an hour or two into her slumber, which was the peak time of the night where she was out like the dead. Well, as dead as she could be according to herself.

She got off her bed and looked around her room. Confused and still a little dazed from her sleep, it took her a while to realize that the buzzing was coming from under her bed. She stood there, a bit shocked and curious, knowing full well what the vibrating object was.

She pulled out from under her bed a suitcase and unlocked the numerous locks around it. Opening it, she quickly pulled out the cell phone, hidden in a secret compartment, and silenced the phone. Ashley glared at the number glowing on the screen before taking a deep breath and mentally preparing for the caller on the other end.

She accepted the call and blurted out the first thing that popped up in her mind. "Why the hell are you calling me?!" She half whispered, half yelled.

There was shuffling on the other end while Ashley waited impatiently for a response. Hanging up was a very tempting option.

"Well, I thought that you would be excited to hear my voice after," Ashley waited for the caller to finish the sentence, already knowing what it would be. " .. 1 year, 2 months, and what is it? 9 days?"

"Shut up," Ashley rolled her eyes. A little more than a year is not that long of a time.

A deep chuckling was heard from the small device. "Glad to see that you're still the same."

Ashley eased up slightly at the familiar voice. "Make this quick Jesse. I don't like staying on the phone for too long." The phone line was secure, but the brunette was still paranoid none the less. It didn't help the fact that Jesse was a talker.

"Alright, alright. So I've been tracking the FBI database for a few months now, and it looks like they're catching up to you," he stated.

Ashley let out a sigh. "How far along are they?"

Sounds of a keyboard occupied the brunette's ears. "Well, they're in Boston right now," Jesse said simply. "And if I recall correctly, you were there 3 months ago."

Ashley remembered Boston. She was known as 'Jenna Henderson', but no one knew her other than the hotel clerk. The brunette stayed there for roughly 2 weeks, her main goal being to recollect her mind and wind down a bit. Running around pretending to be someone else was tiring, and she didn't want to have a mental breakdown, hence the creation of 'Jenna Henderson'. She didn't have a job either, choosing to stay cooped up in a hotel and do research.

"Did they find any other locations?"

"Mm, yeah, but they're from a long time ago. Maybe two years or so."

"Huh, looks like they're finally making progress," Ashley said sarcastically. Last time she heard, the FBI were trailing a year behind her - blindly, she might add. Maybe it was a lucky break on their end. Or maybe Ashley was oh so slightly sloppier somewhere along the journey. Either way, the brunette was certain that there was nothing in Boston that would lead them to her current location.

Jesse scoffed. "Yeah, that's one way to put it."

"Is that all? Hurry up before I hang up on your ass." Ashley could feel the annoyance building up inside her body.

"Geez, what's the rush?," he whined.

Ashley seriously wondered why she was in contact with someone who sounded so much like a prepubescent boy.

"Jesse," she warned.

"Fine," he said defeated and got back on topic. "You need to get down here. There's a lot that I can't show you through the phone and in my opinion, I think it's worth taking a look at."

Ashley groaned into the phone. "Can't you just send me whatever it is you want to show me?"

"Um, if you didn't hear in the beginning of our conversation," he paused dramatically, "it's from the _FBI _ database. The F.B. mother-fucking I. I don't want to be thrown into some jail to rot away, thank you very much!" He yelled the last part, trying to get his point across. "It's hard enough staying undetected on one device. Sending something to another device will just alert them," he grumbled.

"Calm down," she rolled her eyes. "I have a long weekend so I'll come up for a quick visit."

"Awesome." Ashley could feel his smile beaming through the phone. "You can do a weapon exchange too while you're here."

The brunette finally let a smile creep onto her face. Jesse knew her so well.

* * *

Ashley closed the car door and sipped on her coffee, careful not to burn her tongue. It was her 4th cup since she left Ohio. Coffee shops were conveniently placed all along her path to Pennsylvania and the brunette couldn't resist. Especially since she didn't sleep much after Jesse's call.

She only had a little more to go before she reached her destination. And Jesse.

He was one of the few people she trusted - hell, he was the only one she trusted. He has been helping her since she was 18, reaching out to contact her when all hell broke loose. She had met him at a weapon shop that he owned. He looked skeptically at her before dropping a bomb on her by saying 'I know who you are'. The newly wanted fugitive was ready to run when Jesse did something unexpected - he handed her a few guns for free, ones that she still had today. She held the heavyweights in her hand, shifting her gaze from the guns to the generous man that was smiling at her.

That was the start of their bond, and it took awhile for the brunette to fully trust him. There have been a few mishaps where Ashley held a gun to poor Jesse's head, but the two chose not to speak of it, knowing that it was just due to Ashley's paranoia. Jesse had been a life saver, supplying her with weapons and additional tips in the beginning of her run. It was also a major benefit that he was a computer whiz behind the scenes.

They kept minimum contact with each other; each year resulting in less need for Jesse's support as Ashley learned how to think on her own. She occasionally visited him when she was travelling to a new place that happened to pass through his state and he called her whenever there was information. Like last night.

Ashley arrived at small house that gave off the nice family vibe. It was unbelievable to the brunette how a gun dealer lived in such a goody-two shoes house. If she was one, she would be living in the depths of the alleys, revving up a reputation as the local badass. Thinking about it, she supposed he did this so that he wouldn't draw attention to himself, you know, with hacking into the FBI's database and all.

She stood on the doorstep, appearing calm and cool on the outside, but slowly freaking out on the inside. She kept glancing behind her and around the neighbourhood as she waited for Jesse to answer the door. _God, could he be any slower?_ She was starting to feel kinda creepy waiting out in the open in broad daylight.

To her relief, the door swung open to a tall, broad-shouldered man who was beaming down at her.

"Davies, you're finally here!" He said excitedly, opening the door wider for the brunette to enter.

Ashley raised her eyebrows in warning. She did not need any of the neighbours to hear her last name being yelled.

He cleared his throat. "Um, I meant to say .. Johnson?" He said sheepishly. Jesse could never remember the code names they made up. But then again, that was 5 years ago so Ashley let it slide.

Ashley nodded her head. "Anything but Davies."

"Right. Got it."

Ashley smiled at Jesse as he tied his hair back. Green eyes rolled when Jesse noticed the expression on Ashley's face. The tangled blonde mess was still slightly shorter than shoulder length, despite the many times the brunette begged him to cut it. Although she would never say it out loud, she had to admit the surfer-ish look suited him .. plus it kinda terrified her thinking of him without the long hair.

"So, what do you have for me?"

Jesse left and returned with a beer for himself and coke for Ashley. "It's down this way."

Swatting at Jesse's mini pony tail, Ashley followed him into the basement. "You really should cut your hair."

* * *

"Man, you're basement is so fucking rigged," Ashley awed at the multiple screens adorning the wall.

Jesse smiled with pride at his babies. "I know right? Isn't it sick?"

The room slowly lit up as the computer screens turned on. There was literally no light switch in the room at all; it was a wonder that they could navigate down the stairs.

"So where are you at now? And as who I might add," Jesse asked, throwing a stress ball into the air.

"You know I can't tell you that," Ashley said distracted by the illuminating screens. "But my last one was in San Francisco as 'Melissa Evans'."

Jesse nodded in understanding.

"What's this about them being in Boston? How did they know I was there?" Ashley asked.

"Just wait a second."

Ashley watched on as Jesse navigated through the complex computer, typing in extremely long passwords and clicking through different programs. She was impressed. Jesse was about 5 years older than her but had so many skills under his belt. Computer hacking. Martial Arts. Guns. Businesses. Oh yeah and knives. Guns too.

"Kay, you see here," he pointed to the left screen, "these are reports from their Boston investigation."

Ashley nodded.

"According to this, someone tipped them off and I guess it was legit enough for them to check it out." Jesse shrugged.

"Does it say what the tip was?"

"Not on here, but check this out."

A grainy video started to play on the centre screen. Judging from the looks of it, the camera was probably from the last century. Ashley leaned in closer to see. It was a clip of a blurry Ashley walking into a hotel.

"You can't even see my face! How would they know if that was me?" Ashley exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

Jesse laughed. "They probably don't. They're just grasping on to any clue they can find so that they look like they're doing their jobs."

".. so they're just guessing?"

"Looks like it. I mean, all this stuff they found in Boston isn't evidence. Crappy video recordings and a vague description from a clerk won't get them anywhere. And you probably cleaned out that hotel room until it was spotless so they definitely didn't find anything there."

Ashley stared at the side of Jesse's head disbelievingly before giving it a good smack. "Why the hell did you ask me to come here if you knew they didn't have a clue!"

"Ow .." he rubbed his head. "I just thought that you'd like to see everything they had on you since you've never had a look at it."

A silence hung above their heads before Ashley spoke.

"Oh. Yeah, that's probably a good idea," she said, completely ignoring Jesse as he waited for an apology he knew he wasn't getting.

* * *

"That's a lot of shit they have on me," Ashley said with amusement as she exited the house.

Jesse scoffed. "Yeah, a lot of _bull shit_."

Ashley grinned and glanced around his neighbourhood. "They would never believe that you're a gun dealer and major league hacker," she said pointing to a random house.

"Isn't that the point? You should know considering all the masks you wear," he said lightheartedly. Jesse felt bad that Ashley had to live a life like that.

Ashley let out an exaggerated breath. "Yeah. Gotta do what you gotta to do."

Jesse nodded and looked up at the evening sky. "Are you gonna head back to wherever now?" Jesse eyed the multiple coffee cups on the dashboard of Ashley's car and came to a conclusion that it was a long drive.

"Probably should," Ashley caught herself before she said 'get back to school'. The brunette climbed into her car and cleared her dashboard, opting to donate all the cups to Jesse.

"Oh and take this," he handed her a key. "It's to the shop. Drop by before you leave and just take whatever you need."

Ashley gave him a grateful smile and ruffled his golden hair. "Thanks Jess."

"Anytime. And stay safe kay? You're like a sister to me so it'd kinda suck if the feds kill you off," he joked nervously, knowing that the odds were slightly against Ashley.

She nodded reassuringly. "Don't worry. I'm like a ninja; they have no chance."

* * *

**A/N: So it was really tempting to continue this chapter onto the stuff I had planned, but it would turn out to be too long and then the chapter would end up in a weird part. Next chapter is a continuation of Ashley's long weekend and I have to say, I am excited. lol. So let me know how I'm doing so far with this story and the characters. Oh and what you think of Jesse too. **

**Btw, reviews really motivate me to post quicker updates :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Update! For those of you who have a love/hate relationship with me cuz my irregular updates, I apologize and .. yeah (free hugs for you!). Thanks for all the feedback, it really helps with motivation. Anyway, enjoy and tell me what you thought about it! (:**

* * *

It was paradise to the brunette. Ashley couldn't be more pleased with the things that Jesse kept in stock. Shelves full of guns, throwing knives, ammo, and other strange devices lined the walls.

The shop wasn't lighted, but it wasn't hard for Ashley to navigate around. She's been in the shop multiple times - most of which were in the dark.

She opened up the backpack that was laying on the counter and walked around the shop, dropping whatever she liked into it. A weird nostalgic feeling ran through Ashley's body as she realized that It was kinda like grocery shopping. Similar to some aisles in grocery stores, she never bothered with the shelf full of shotguns - they took too long to reload and were too bulky.

When she made a full round of the shop, her bag was filled to the top with new editions of handheld guns, a variety of knives, concealable holsters, lock picks, and ammo. As she left the store, Ashley eyed the swords on display and decided that those were better left for another time (when she actually knew how to kick ass with them).

Coming out the back door, she hurriedly entered the car and drove away, careful to stay of out the line of any cameras.

Ashley called the trip a success as she laid in a motel room in the off skirts of Pennsylvania, a few hours from Ohio. Nothing cheered her up more than getting new weapons. It was like getting new friends, someone (or in this case, some_thing_) that offered protection and security, and always had her back. Plus, she liked planting them randomly around the house.

She was dozing off when there was a knock at the door.

Alerted, Ashley approached the door and silently cursed when she realized that it didn't have a peephole. _I guess that's what you get when you stay at a cheap motel._ The knocking resumed again, only harder and more persistent.

"Open the door!" A voice demanded.

Ashley flinched as the voice registered in her ears, immediately recognizing the deep and authoritative way the message travelled through the room. Ashley clenched her jaws and fists as she tried to bury the panic growing inside of her. Six years and a voice like that still made her skin crawl.

The brunette surveyed the room. There were no windows to climb out of, so that was out of the question. Ramming through the front door and just making a run for it probably won't end too well. Chances are that they had her car too.

Being in a motel with no other occupants other than the owner wasn't turning out to be such a good idea. Add in the fact that they were basically in the middle of nowhere pratically had the brunette scolding herself.

Ashley ran into the bathroom and turned on the shower, allowing the water to run. She locked the bathroom door from the inside and closed it on her way out, hoping that it would buy her some valuable time.

The brunette grabbed the bag full of weapons that she thankfully didn't leave in the car and carefully slid under the bed. She pulled the edge of the sheets over the gap between the bed and floor, being careful to leave a nonchalant sliver open so she could see.

Gun shots rang off and the door swung open only to swing close with just as much force, effectively slamming whoever it was in the face. Ashley managed a small smirk as the voices swore at the chain lock she installed not too long ago.

The brunette payed close attention as people finally filed through the door. Ashley glared as she noticed the dress shoes that came into view. _Damn, feds._ She counted five pairs.

"Over there!" A man announced, following the sound of the running shower.

Footsteps shuffled towards the bathroom and kicked the door open. Soon, the shower was shut off and footsteps made their way back out.

"Clear!" A deep voice announced. "She's not in there."

There was shuffling before a voice replied, "Nothing in here either."

Under the bed, Ashley tried to control her uneven breaths as a pair of shoes started to pace frantically in front of her.

"Well, where the hell did she go then!? Her car is right out there!" The lead agent was angry - no he was _livid_. Not only did a door slam in his face (because of a damn chain lock - who even _uses_ those anymore?), but now he had to endure the embarrassment of missing the fugitive for the umpteenth time since he was assigned to take over this operation two years ago. He was always picking crumbs and trying to follow trails that led him nowhere and he was goddamn tired of it.

Ashley watched as the shoes made trails on the carpet. She slowly brought her right knee towards her chest and reached into her right boot to retrieve a knife.

A blood curdling scream rang out as Ashley slit the area between the ankle and the base of the heel, no doubt hitting a major artery. The pacing man fell over and cradled his spurting wound as a pool of blood quickly started to surround him. On the ground, he was faced with the brunette hiding under the bed not even a few feet away from him, and tried to alert the others but Ashley quickly produced a gun from her bag and shot him.

The agents were startled by the sight of their injured colleague and immediately flipped the bed over, yelling incoherent orders. Ashley took the opportunity and quickly jumped up. The two who had flipped over the bed still had both arms over their heads, leaving them completely vulnerable. Ashley swiftly stabbed one man's forehead with the knife in her left hand and brought the gun in her right up to shoot his retracting partner between the eyes, simultaneously pulling out the knife out of her other victim.

The sound of two bodies dropping was drowned out by the panicked and heavy footsteps of the two remaining agents.

Ashley was in the _zone_. She was in another state of mind, a split personality, an alter-ego if you must. Point was, she wasn't Ashley - nor Melissa Evans, Stephanie Rockwood or any other alias she went by. One look at the FBI vests and she was mentally gone. She was in a state where killing didn't bother her; like when she heard the cringe-worthy crack of the man's skull, it only made her push the knife in a little deeper; when she pulled the trigger, she didn't aim for his legs to immobilize him, no, she aimed between his eyes to end his life. This wasn't the same person that spent the hours later grieving over her actions; this was the one that wanted nothing more than to make other people grieve - to make them feel the same pain she feels.

The remaining two agents trained their guns on Ashley, the people behind the gun taking quick frantic breaths. Their fingers twitched on the trigger as they eyed the brunette.

"Put your hands up and drop your weapons!"

"Now!" The other added.

Ashley brought her hands up slowly, showing off her bloody knife and loaded gun, practically rubbing it in their faces. She crouched down and dropped both weapons before backing up with her palms facing the agents.

Both agents approached her warily, guns pointed, to rid of the two weapons on the ground. When one agent crouched down to collect the weapons into a bag, the other (who was still moving toward Ashley) glanced back to his partner for a brief second when he heard the weapons clash in the bag.

Before the agent could turn back around, a pain shot through his knee and as he buckled to the ground, he felt a sharp jab to his fore arm while his gun was ripped from his hand. On his knees, an arm encircled around his neck and locked him in place.

"Put the weapon down!" The other agent shouted with alarm. His eyes darted between his partner and Ashley. He couldn't decide whether to settle on his partner to send him looks of strength or on the fugitive to intimidate her. He opted on doing both.

Ashley felt her captive trying to shake her off so she brought her gun down and shot him in the ankle. He yelled out in pain and fell back into Ashley's body.

"I said put the weapon down!" He shouted again, his sweaty hands clenching around the gun's handle.

She aimed her gun at her captive's temple. This was her ticket out. "Put _your _weapon down." Her voice was steady, taking her time to enunciate each word for the agent to grasp. The blatant whimpering of her captive made her wonder how long he's been on the job or if he was just got caught up in this mess last minute.

Ashley stepped closer behind her captive to cover more of her body when she noticed the agent's conflicted expression. "I'll shoot him if you don't drop your gun," she growled.

The agent's face fell when he clearly heard the sob of his young trainee in Ashley's arms. Slowly, the agent lowered and dropped his gun.

"Kick it away," Ashley ordered, her gun digging deeper into her captive. She watched as the gun slid across the room.

The agent approached her with his palms up. "No one has to get hurt. Just lower your gun and we can negoti-"

"Negotiate?!" The brunette cried out. "I don't need negotiations." With that, she pulled the trigger.

The agent managed a distraught 'no!' as he watched his young colleague fall to the ground. Before he knew it, the gun was cocked at him. The agent clenched his jaw as tears clouded his eyes. "How could you!" He screamed, pointing an accusing finger at her.

Ashley shook her head, ignoring the agent's outburst, and let out a bitter laugh. "I bet that was how you guys did it. No wait, you probably tied them up first, right?" Her voice raised at the end. She took a deep breath to control her emotions. Emotions were bad - at least in moments like these.

The agent's mouth was agape, eyes wide. Ashley shook her head one last time and shot him in the head.

Ashley tucked the gun behind her back and quickly crossed the room to retrieve her bag and ran out the door.

But the moment she stepped out, her left shoulder rolled back violently causing her entire body to stumble to the force. Shocked at the sudden intrusion, she clutched her hand to her shoulder, where the pain was tearing at her, and grimaced as she felt her blood seeping out of the bullet wound and through her shirt.

She peered through the darkness and saw the lone agent standing there, gun in one hand and a walkie talkie in the other. Her ears were slightly ringing but she made out the words 'request' and 'backup'. She didn't have much time left before a whole hoard showed up.

She let out a shaky breath, trying to regain her bearings and come up with a plan, but her throbbing shoulder was distracting. The wound felt warm and tingly, sending jolts of pain throughout her body. She tried to remember the last time she was shot, but her mind was clouded with thoughts of how she got in this situation in the first place. And that's when it hit her.

_Jesse_.

She didn't have time to venture down that road because a gun shot rang out. She flinched and closed her eyes, believing that the agent took the opportunity to completely immobilize her, but when she opened her eyes after feeling no additional pain, it was the agent who was on the ground - lifeless.

She immediately jerked to pull out her gun, much to the dismay of her injured shoulder, and aimed it at Jesse who suddenly appeared behind the body to shoot it one more time.

Jesse looked up at the bloody brunette and realized that Ashley was getting the wrong image in her mind, which would probably lead her to cock a gun to his head. He didn't want that, not like last time. So he slowly put the gun down and slid it away.

"It's not what it looks like," he said calmly, making a show of deliberately showing Ashley his empty hands.

Ashley walked carefully towards Jesse, her eyes lighting up and then dimming down. "I'm giving a chance to explain yourself before I lose it and shoot you."

Jesse exhaled with no doubt at Ashley's words. "W-When we went through your file on their database, it set something off. I'm not sure what, but I'm guessing it had to do with unlocking so many of your files at once." He licked his lips and continued, "After you left, I was looking through your history when everything shut down._ Everything._ My whole house went black."_  
_

Ashley was listening to his words suspiciously. "Why were you looking through my history?"

He hesitated. "I wanted to know what happened."

"You already knew what happened!" Ashley suddenly shouted. She had already told him in her few moments of grief and anger. Things weren't adding up. "Now tell me the truth. _Why?"__  
_

Getting impatient for his stalled answer, Ashley came up to him and knocked him across the temple. He held his head, trying to catch his balance, but Ashley quickly delivered a hard kick behind his knee. Jesse let out a low groan and buckled to the cold pavement. Ashley pressed the gun to his head and bent down so she was level with him. "I already did this once today and I'd rather not get more blood on my hands."

Jesse looked up at the girl hovering over him and it made his insides reel with familiarity. She had the right to know, she _should _know if he had any chance to live. So he took in a shaky breath and said -

"I used to work for Raife."

* * *

**A/N: So this was one of the more difficult chapters to write 'cause I didn't want the action to be awkward and stuff.. Let me know how I did in that department and don't be afraid to post any thoughts in the review :)**

**btw, jwilbanks21, your review has been stuck in my head for the past month. it's only been 29 days (not 30) so i hope your happy, lol. **

**Thanks to everyone else who reviews, I really enjoy reading them.**


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